Type-writing machine



3 Sheets-Sheet (No Medel.)

D. E. KEMPSTER.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

PatentedMay 18, 1886.

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Y TYPE WRITING MACHINE. N0. 342,302. Patented May 18, 1886.

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D. E. KEMPSTER.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 342,302. Patented May` 18, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

DANIEL E. KEMPSTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TYPE=\NR|TING MACHINE.

Application filed June 1l, 1F84. l Serial No. 134,503.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,302, dated May 18,1886.

(No model.)

To all' whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, DANTEL KEMrsTEn, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massa chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Type-\Viitiiig Machines, of which the follow ing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,A is a specification, like letters on the drawin representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the produc tion of a simple and efficient type-writer in which the printing may readily be inspected.

Tn this my invention the paper-carrier is made laterally movable on guides, and above the said carrier is pivoted the frame which carries the type wheel, the mechanism for moving it, and the mechanism which moves the feed-whecl that actuates the paper-carrier, and also the mechanism which operates the ink-ribbon. This pivot-ed frame is made to resemble a yoke, and the type-wheel mounted therein has at its axis a small crown or other suitable gear-,which is engaged by the teeth of a pivoted toothed sector having hinged to or made movable with it the operating-lever, or the lever which is engaged by the operator, and moved into position opposite the letter or character ou the indeX-plate,which letter or character is the same as that which it is desired to imprint upon the paper. The operating-lever, besides being free to be moved horizontally, is also free to rise and fall a limited distance in a throat, one part of which is provided with a series of letters or characters, thus constituting an index-plate, while the other part is provided with correspondinglyplaced notches or projections, so that vertical movement of the operating-lever at the termination of the horizontal movement thereof enables the said lever to be locked in place to maintain the type-wheel in such proper position as to cause the said typewheel to act upon the ink-ribbou and print upon the paper laid upon the paperearricr a letter corresponding with that on the index-plate opposite which the said lever is temporarily locked by its vertical. movement. I have interposed a top plate between the papercarrier and the pivoted frame referred to, and upon this top plate I have adjustably attached the ink-rib bon holder.

The particular features in which my iuven tion consist will be pointed out in the claimsat the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top view of a type-writer embodying my improvements; Fig. 2,' a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the pivoted frame and top plate elevated ninety degrees, the feed-rack on the papercarrier being broken away to show the paperfeeding roller back of it. Fig. 4 is asection of Fig. l in the dotted line m x, the knob H* being, however, in elevation; Fig. 5, a sectional detail looking at the paper-carrier from the left of the dotted line mimi, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the type-wheel, showing one of the type held therein by a set-screw; Fig. 7, a partial top view of the paper-carrier; Fig. 8, a sectional detail in the line x w3, Fic. l, the feed-wheel being broken out; and Fig. 9 a modification to be referred to.

The base Ahasrising from it end brackets, A', which form bearings for rods A2 A? A, the rods AL A serving as the guides for the papercarrier B. This paper carrier or carriage as it might be called,is shown as a plate, and at its rear side the carrier has two upwardly-extended arms, B, provided with holes,thr0ugh which is extended the guide-rod A2, while at its front end the carrier hasV at its lower side two lugs or ears, B'iwhieh embrace the guiderod A, One of the arms B (see Fig. l) has a pointer, 2,which cooperates with the carriagepositioning scale B3 on the top plate, B".

The paper-carrier B has a correspondinglygraduated scale, C, connected with it at the rear of the paper-i`eediug roller C', (see Fig.7,) and in such position that its rear edge falls as a straight edge just below the line being printed. In case of a wrong letter heilig inserted the operator will remove the same,and will notice the point where the letter was erased with relation to the scale G, and will then inove the paperlcarrier until the pointer 2, referred to, is opposite a number or line on the positioning-scale B"i which corresponds with the mark or number on the scale C opposite the point where the erasure referred to was made. Such operation insures the placing of the paper-carrier at exactly the position which it is necessary that the said carrier should have to enable a letter to be printed at a particular point in the line, or to enable IOO a line to be started at any desired point with relation to its length. The feeding-roller has its journals mounted in suitable ears of a roller-carrying frame, C2, (see Fig. 5,) pivoted to the paper-carrier at G. The outer end of the roller-carrying frame G2 has a screw-rod, 0*, which is acted upon at its upper side by a spring, D, which latterserves to maintain the feeding-roller C bearing upon the paper on the paper-carrier with a yielding pressure, enabling several sheets, if desired, to be kept under the said roller for manifold printing.

The paper-feeding roller herein shown has the main part of its body covered by means of an india-rubber shell, as best shown iu the section, Fig; 4, and outside the bearings for the said roller it is provided with a ratchetwheel, D, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) which is engaged by a spring-detent, D2, the said roller having at its end a milled or other head, D, which is engaged by the operator after printing each line, and is rotated to feed the paper away from the operator and on the paper-carrier for the distance of one line, the notches in the ratchet-wheel D being made at suitable distance apart to insure as many different steps or partial rotations ot' the paper during each complete rotation of the said roller as there are notches in the wheel 1). Each step or partial rotation of the said wheel eii'eets the spacing or the distance between lines.

At its underside the paper-carrier has fastened to it a bell, D, and a springarm, E, carrying a hammer. As the paper-carrier arrives at the end of its traverse toward the left to complete a line, the springarm E strikes the bent end of an arm, E, connected with an adjustable stop, E2, mounted on the guide-rod A3. This arm E (see its shape indicated in dotted lilies, Fig. 1,) acts to lift the springhammer E, and just before the ear B2 reaches the said stop the spring-hammer slips from the end of the arm E and the hammer strikes the bell, sounding an alarm, which gives n0- tice to the operator that the end of the line has been reached. This stop and arm E may be adjusted on the guide A3, to permit the use of paper of any desired width, or to enable shorter or longer lines to be printed upon the paper being used.

The movement of the paper-carrier to the right preparatory to commencing a new line will be determined by the adjustable stop E3.

The paper-carrier has a toothed rack, E4, under which the paper is free to be moved. This rack is arranged transversely of the paper-carrier, and is engaged by a toothed feedwheel, F, (shown in Figs. 2, 8, and 4,) which is free to rotate on a stud, 25, held in or by the upright a, the teeth of the said wheel F being cut into a peripheral channel, which forms guides for the hooked pawl a. and the detent a, each made as an elbow-lever and pivoted, respectively, at a3 a* on a part, d5, of the pivoted frame G, the pawl and detent being held toward each other by the spring a. The short arm of the pawl c has a knob, 26, upon which the operator will press when it is desired to throw the said pawl out of engagement with the wheel F to move the papencarrier by hand, such movement of the pawl also causing the detent al to be thrown out of engagement with the said wheel. During the upward movement ofthe frame G, caused by the spring b, held in the upright a, the pawl a engages and turns the wheel F the dist-ance of one tooth, to effect the regular spacing of the letters of the line, provided the pin b2, held in suitable ears, b', of the upright a, is pushed in and rests in the line of movement ofthe said pawl; but in case the said pin is pulled out, so as to be out of range of the said pawl, then the pawl in its upward 'movement sooner engages the teeth of the wheel F and effects the rotation of the latter for a distance equal to two teeth, such extra movement being desirable to insure extra width of spacing, as for backing envelopes,&e.

The frame-work G (shown as a metal yoke pivoted upon the guide-rod A2) has suitable adj ustablepointed bearings, c, made as screws, and commonly used in sewing and other inachines. These screws c c (shown in Figs. l and 8) are in practice made adjustable, so as to adjust the type-wheel H and keep the teeth ci? its connected gear Hl in proper engagement with the teeth of the vibrating toothed sector Hiand avoid backlash.

The wheel H is provided with radial recesses (see Fig. 6) for the reception ofthe stems of ordinary metal type, el, the latter being secured therein singly by screws d, such type being thus readily made changeable to permit the use of type of any desired style or font, and in case a type is broken or injured another one may be readily applied instead of it, and without disturbing any of the other type.

Heretoiore type-wheels have been provided with type all held by one clamp in such manner that the removal of one was liable to loosen all the others.

The arm or sector H2 (see Figs. 1 to 4) is )ivoted on a screw d3 extended throu `h a1 1 a r backwardly-extended portion, GX, of the pivoted frame G, and secured in a standard, (1*, mounted loosely upon the guide-rod A2. The yoke h of the sector receives a bolt, e, which serves as a pivot for the operating-lever H3, bent, as shown in Fig. 4, and provided with a knob, H4, which is engaged by the operator. The frame G has a curved ledge or portion, g, which is notched or serrated, as shown in Fig. 2, one notch foreach letter or character of the wheel. Above this sector-shaped ledge or portion g is an index-plate, g', the face of which is herein shown as inclined downward, so that the letters and characters therein may be readily seen by the operator sitting in front of the machine, thus obviating the trouble of the operator bending over forward and looking down on the index-plate, as heretofore done.

Between the index-plate g and the ledge or portion g is aspace which I call a throatj and the operating-lever H3 is passed through this IOO throat, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and the said lever is free to rise and fall or turn on its pivot for a distance measured by the width of the said throat. The lever H3 is normally elevated by the spring h2, and the underside of the index-plate serves as an up-stop for the said lever, and at its underside the said lever has a V or other suitable shaped projection, 3, which, at each descent of the lever H3, enters one of the spaces in the ledge or portion g, thus holding` the lever accurately in a certain position, and placing the type-wheel in such position as to insure that a type in the wheel corresponding with the character on the index-plate opposite the pointer 4 of the lever H3 will be brought by the wheel in proper position to imprint its letter on the paper at that descent of the frame G, the operator effecting the descent of the said frame andthe type-wheel bya further downward movement or depression of the lever H3 after the proj ection 3 of the said lever comes to a seat in the notch referred to of the ledge or portioirg. The guide-rod A2 has loosely pivoted upon it two arms, m m, (see Fig. 3,) which have screwed to them the top plate, B", preferably a piece of wood, and, as herein shown, the top plate serves to support the ink-ribbon spoolholder L, (shown best in Fig. 3,) adjustably connected with the under side of the said top plate, Pf, by screws (l 7, so that the said holder may be readily detached from the machine when it is desired to applya new ink-ribbon, m3, the slots m4 permitting` lateral adjustment of the ribbon, so that its entire width may be used. This holder L has ears .8 9, which receive the spool-spindles 10, screw-threaded at their outer ends to engage threads in the ears 8, and having collars 12 fast thereon,which, by turning the said spindles to screw them into ears 8, causes the said collars to be forced against the outer sides of the ears 9, thus compelling the said ears 8 and 9 to approach each other, and attheir inner sides to bear upon friction-washers placed at the end of spools 14, thus holding the latter frictionally, a washer, 15, being interposed between each ear 9 and the said spool. Each spool has a ratchet, 16, which is engaged by bail-shaped pawls a u, one or the other of which in en` gagement with one or other of the ratchets g of the spools enables the inl -ribbon to be wound,as may be desired,from either spool to the other. The pawl not in use will be held by a suitable spring, a, as at the left of Fig. 2. These pawls are pivotall y connected with the frame G.

It will be noticed. that the operating-lever I-I3 is extended forward over the sector or arm H2 and toward the operator, and to do this and enable it to cross and not interfere with the type-wheel the said lever is bent or curved upward, as fully shown in Fig. 4, and by so d0- ing I am enabled to greatly reduce the width of the apparatus, and yet insure the proper amount of throw for the lever, and it will be noticed that as the lever Hfnis always below Vsubstantially in line with the papcrcarrier the said fran'1e,with all its attached parts and inkribbon, may be lifted and tipped back about the guide-rod A2, to expose the paper-carrier vand paper, enabling the operator to readily see the line upon which he is working, as well as all the printing upon the page, which is a matter of very great convenience. This frameJ and top plate may be instantly turned up whenever desired from the framel A', on which it rests,and without removing any fastenings.

The type-wheel is provided at its rear side with a space-pin. t, which, when the pointer 4 of the lever H3 is in line with the center line, t, ofthe index-plate, is at the lower side of the wheel T, directly above the foot or rightangled projection of the bracket fi, attached to the top plate, B', the said foot arresting the descent ofthe wheel, so that the type will not force the ink-ribbon upon the paper, but will enable the frame G to descend far enough to insure the operation of the pawl a on the wheel F to move the paper-carrier sufficiently to insure a space between words. The inl;- ribbon below the under side of the top plate is passed over the rests ai.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, I have shown a segment provided with teeth to engage the series of teeth of the wheel H', operated by thelever H3; but instead of employing the segment and gearI may employ a cord or band,28, connected at its ends directly to the operating-lever, passing over pulleys 27, and wound once around the wheel H', and preferably attached thereto, as shown in Fig. 9, the said cord or band being the well-known equivalent for the gears.

The adj listing-screw 29, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) placed in the foot of the upright casting ,may be raised and lowered to serve as a stop, against which a narrow bar or projection, 32, on the main frame G, (see Figs. 1 and 8,) and passed through the slot in the casting a, stri kes as the frame G is depressed to cause the typewheel to act upon the ink-ribbon. This screw will be adjusted or placed at such height that the descent of the frame will be arrested just as the type upon the type-wheel strikes the ink-ribbon with sufficient force to print a char- IOO IIO

acter upon the paper, this screw preventing the metal type, which are usually soft, from being battered down or injured, as they might be if theblow of the type upon theink-ribbon or the paper below it was too hard.

I can dispense with the ink-ribbon, and in place thereof use suitable inking-rolls attached to the frame G at each side of the printingwheel, said inlging-rolls being of different colors, if desired.

1. In a type-writer, the pivoted top plate, combined with the ink-ribbon holder and its spools, and spindles to hold the spools, the said holder being adj ustably and detaohably secured to the said top plate,to enable it to be adjusted thereon or to be quickly removed therefrom, as may be desired, substantially as described.

2. The type-wheel, the piveted frame upon which it is mounted, a pawl carried by said frame, and a pivoted top plate, and the feedwheel mounted upon ille latter pivoted plate,

combined with the paper-carrier, its attached' both of which are situated at the extreme or free end of said frame farthest from its pivoteenters, a type-wheel mounted on the said frame between said index-plate and the framepivots, and having,` its axis of rotation at right angles to the axial centers of the pivots ofthe said frame, and provided with an operatinglever, and the mechanism, substantially as described, whereby a rotary and a vibrating,` movement may be given to said typewhecl, combined and arranged substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The papercarrier provided with the toothed racl; and the top plate and feed-wheel F, combined with the pivoted frame, its connected pawl, and with apin to (3o-operate with the said pawl and enable it to engage and operate the said wheel a distance equal to one or two teeth, as desired, substantially as described.

5. In atype-writcr, in combination, the pivoted frame G, the ribbon-feeding` pawls, the paper-carrier feeding-pawls, the pivoted top plate, the ink-ribbon holder, and its spools and spindles, thcfeed-wheel, the paper-carrier, the rack and feed-roll thereon, the carrier guiderod, the type-wheel, the type-wheel gear and sector, and the operating-lever and indexplate, all substantially as shown and described.

6. In a type-writer, the friction-adj listing ink-ribbon holder, consisting of the plate L, provided with two sets of ears, S 9, screwthreaded spindles screwed into the ears S and havin g shoulders] 2, combined with two spools placed on the said spindles between the said pairs of ears, and adapted to be vfrietionally held from revolving by turning the screwspindles, and' thus clamping said spools between the ears, as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL E. KEMPS'IER.

"Witnesses:

Jos. I). Livnnnonn, G. XV. GREGORY. 

